Gardaí believe nine men were trapped in a shipping container for days in a Co Wexford port, putting their lives in danger, before they were discovered on Monday morning. The container is believed to have arrived at the Rosslare Europort several days before the alarm was raised and the men freed, according to sources.
The Irish Times understands the shipping container originated in Africa and was transported to Ireland via at least two European ports, arriving in Rosslare before the weekend.
Gardaí believe the men are east African, possibly from Djibouti, and that they may have entered the container in France last week. Between sailing time, and the days they were in the container after it was unloaded in Rosslare, it is suspected the men were inside for about five days.
Detectives carrying out a people smuggling investigation into the men’s journey believe the group remained in the container when it was unloaded in the belief it was to be moved on with them inside.
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However, they had mobile phones and, after eventually realising where they were, decided to call for help. Gardaí are trying to determine if the men intended to travel to the UK but were put into a container destined for Ireland instead.
One of the group had suffered injuries that required hospitalisation, although his life was not believed to be at risk. The others were also medically assessed and were in better condition.
Gardaí said the men claimed to be aged from late teens to 20s, though some may be older. Initial communication with the group was complicated by the lack of an interpreter.
The alarm was raised at about 10.30am on Monday when the nine men were found in the container at the big freight transport hub in Co Wexford. Once the discovery was made, gardaí were alerted.
“Gardaí and emergency services located the nine males and they have been assessed by medical personnel,” the Garda said in a statement. “Eight have been deemed to be in good health while one male is receiving further medical assessment at a hospital in the southeast of the country for non-life threatening injuries.”
The investigation is being carried out by gardaí in Wexford Garda station aided by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
The incident is the latest case of small groups of people being discovered in Rosslare as part of efforts to smuggle them into the Republic, often from continental Europe.
Twelve months ago 14 migrants – men, women and children – who were Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq were found hidden in a trailer at Rosslare Europort after it had come from Zeebrugge in Belgium. Most of that group left State accommodation and are unaccounted for.
Last March another, smaller, group of Eritrean nationals was discovered in a trailer after noise was heard coming from it. Six of the seven people were returned almost immediately to their country of origin.
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